but there is one conveniency attending this Art that I cannot pass over because attributed to Cryptography and it is the Assistance it will give to the knowledge of the Tongues Trithemius affirms in recommendation of his Polygraphy and transposes this one into no less than three or four Advantages Polygrap p. 38 39. de Caus Utilit Operis That by it a Man that understands none but his Mother Tongue may understand the sense of an Epistle in Latin c. But this I have considered and the Fallacy attending it Chap. V. But if you once understand the Rules for Decyphering in one Language you may really and without any Reservation in a few hours understand as much of any Language as is needful to reduce it out of Cypher as is observed in another place Now this must produce a desire of understanding the meaning of what is so Decyphered and Desire joyned even with a Superficial knowledge a Facility of attaining it Note in Page 21 a wrong Alphabet was by mistake insert the true one is this A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t v w x y z P q r s t v w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o Towards the end of the Introduction for Lucis Ossores read Lucis Osores p. 11. l. 28. f. Propositions r. Praepositions p. 94. l. 4. f. In the order strings passing r. In the order of the strings passing c. INTRODUCTION BEfore I enter upon any particular Enquiry into this occult Art I conceive it proper enough to make some Introductory general Remarks upon the whole Design And here I cannot but observe a very Mysterious Change between the Measures taken by some Politicians of this as also many past Ages and those universally received of Old Primitive Simplicity was Blessed with one Language adapted for the Advancement of Knowledge and Commerce until our Forefathers undertook that ungodly Expedition Heaven-ward when they were divided into seventy and two Parties * Vid. inter alios Cluv. Epit. p. 5. A. M. 1758. and every one †Gen. c. 11. CURSED Master of a Language for his own use But of a long time the Policy-menders or rather Plot-makers have taken quite another Byass For instead of some generous Attempt to repair the old Breach of a Catholick Converse they debauch their Inventions to frame and manage new ways of Correspondence that no Mortal but a few joyned in the Confederacy should comprehend But this Project such as it is has been very far from obtaining an universal Assent in any Age tho' the Tongue was confounded the Curse extended not to the Brain Reason remained entire which by help of that great School-master Experience taught them an useful piece of Philosophy That the World is but a large Society of Men link'd together by a Chain of Wants almost of infinite Variety Or as Dubartas elegantly expresseth it All Lands as God destributes To the World's Treasure pay their several Tributes Now in a Defection of 71 parts in 72 Knowledge and Commerce were mightily interrupted and the publick must be presumed very sensible of the Loss and Endeavours have been on all sides to remove this Obstacle by which all Parties became Losers A Reunion of Speech considering the different Regions Mankind was divided into was not to be hoped for and besides as it might have proved a work endless so it had been needless for Words however model'd require presence of Time and Place and cannot be conjured out of their little Sphere being no less unfit to enter the Ear or of themselves inform the Understanding at a very few hours distance than to satisfie a craving Stomach Indeed Men are sometimes said to eat their Words but they grow but badly on the Dyet These Inconveniencies gave Occasion to the Invention of Writing An Art by which we may not only transmit our Thoughts to an absent Friend in respect of place but to Posterity in respect of Time and that at the Distance of thousands of Years An Art by which me may yet hear Moses and the Prophets * Witness his excellent Commentaries Julius Caesar and the Conquerors c. without the Miracle of being raised from the Dead †Polyd. Verg. de Invent. retum l. 1. c. 6. Solo literarum usu Memoria fulcitur Aeternitas ab omnique oblivionis injuria res memoriae dignae vindicantur And as Rhodiginus hath it Quid hoc magnificentius quid aeque mirandum in quod ne mortis quidem avida rapacitas jus ullum habet Who was the Author of this Invention I shall not take upon me to determine but such an Improvement of Converse was thought to have something more than human in it and ‖ Polyd. Verg. ibid. Mercury who is by some thought to be the First by others the Fifth that taught the Use of Letters to the Aegyptians was thereupon Deified Note it 's most consonant to sound History That the Aegyptians had this benefit from the neighbourhood of the Israelites the usual Complement that the Men of those Ages put upon their Benefactors But so it is after the manner of Men that what they make they love to use as their Creatures And thus they put new Gods in Commission at pleasure But to let that pass whatever of supposed Divinity might be attributed to this Invention when like the supposed * Mercury Inventor it had got Wings and visited some parts of the World It was not long before some Men began to tamper with it and to Writing add Secret ways of Correspondence The particulars of which are the Subject of this Treatise Letters in their Infancy were in themselves so Secret that he that should have taken them to task to understand an Intrigue committed to their Trust might have worn his Eyes out of his Head or sunk them so low in it as would give Ground to suspect them on their March to enlighten the Brain and the Writing as obstinate as ever And I am apt to believe some Men could be satisfied this Art had still continued in that State at least confined to the use of themselves and their Confederates whose Necks are no longer safe than their Designs secret As for those things treated of by the Authors that have writ upon Steganography c. which lead a man to the Knowledge of the Tongues or are subservient to other useful Sciences No man in his right Wits will discommend them while such innocent Designs are made the ne ultra Neither would I be mis-understood so as to condemn even the Use of Cypher in general For the Mysteries of State cannot perhaps be too well secured from prying Eyes but tho' Princes and those in Authority may have peculiar Signs for secret Information I hope there 's no Consequence for a general Practice that way The Lord Bacon mention'd it as an Aggravation of the Earl of Somerset's Crime in
are put instead of the Lines And if you begin at the first Letter towards the left-hand and read down that Row of Letters then read the next upward and the following down again and so to the end you will find these Words The Pestilence doth still encrease amongst us we shall not be able to hold out the Siege without fresh and speedy Supply This is said to be the ordinary way of writing amongst the Inhabitants of the Island Tâ—probane China and Japan This manner of Secret Writing is but slenderly touched by any Author I have seen on that Subject and had it not gotten greater Perfection by private Practice than open Instructions I had saved the Reader and my selâ— the Trouble of exposing it to the Publick ¶ 1. Of the Combination of three or more Letters The first remarkable Improvement I find of this kind of Cryptography by altering the places of Letters is by the regular Combination of three four or more Letters I had it of a Gentleman who I am fully satisfied would put it to no bad use but since it may fall into bad hands I have his leave to provide against its harm And that we may proceed regularly therein it is necessary first to enquire How many several ways any given number of Letters may be combined i. e. How many different Positions they can regularly admit of And for that end I have hereunto subjoyned the following Table Table of Combinations Letters  Several ways 1 May be combined 1 2 2 3 6 4 24 5 120 6 720 7 5040 8 40320 9 362880 10 3628800 11 39916800 12 479001600 c.  Construction of the Table 1. At the left-hand of your Table stands a Rank of Figures expressing the number of Letters to be combined encreasing in an Arithmetical proportion from Unity or 1. and by the common excess of 1 or Unity 2. To the right hand of these stands the number of Combinations or several ways they can be combined 3. As for 1 being it has but one Position I set 1 opposite to it in the Rank of Combinations 4. I multiply 1 in the Column of Combinations by two in the Column of Letters and set the Product viz. 2 opposite to it which shews how often two Letters or Things can be combined viz. two times 5. I multiply 2 in the Row of Combinations by 3 in the Column of Letters and over against it I set 6 the Product which shews that three Letters have six regular Positions or Combinations 6. I multiply 6 the last number of Combinations by four the number of Letters marking down 24 the Product as the Table And thus I proceed multiplying each last product by the next superior number of Letters and writing the several Products against their respective Multipliers and these Products shew how many Positions their opposite number of Letters have as 5 have 120 several Positions 6 admits of 720 c. Demonstration 1. It is manifest that one Letter or Thing has but one Position and two Letters have twice the Position of 1 viz. once before and after it e. g. A B B A. 2. From the Combination of two Letters we find that of 3 for the new Letter added is three times applicable to the former Positions viz. in the beginning middle and end e. g. the Letter C being joyned with A B the first combination may be C A B and the second CBA Again put C in the middle and it yields other two differences viz. ACB BCA And when C is put in the last place you have a fifth and sixth Difference viz. ABC BAC 3. From the Combination of three Letters arises that of four Letters viz. ABCD for D can be four several times applied to each of the former six Differences e. g. in the first second third and fourth or last place 4. From the twenty four Combinations arising from four Letters you have that of 5 e. g. if the Letter E be added it is five times applicable to each of the former twenty four regular Positions and so for any other Number in infinitum I have said Regular Positions because any number of letters or things may be irregularly varied in their Positions very much above this Order as for Example A B is capable of these irregular Variations AA AB BA BB and at this rate three Letters have no less than 27 Positions in all viz. six regular as before and twenty one irregular Positions But of this when we come to treat of Secret Writing by more Characters than are usually required to the framing of Words ¶ 2. A new Method how to Write Secretly by the Art of Combinations 1. To write Secretly by the method proposed a certain number of Letters are combined to lock and unlock the Epistle The differences of writing down the Positions as which shall be first which second which third c. in order may be varied to a vast number e. g. three Letters ABC having six regular ways of Combination these six Positions are capable of 720 several Orders for the Rows may be combined amongst themselves the same way as Letters Therefore 2. The Order of the Rows is agreed upon at parting 3. The number of Letters combined which is the Key may be express'd in the Epistle by some Mathematical Figure as â–µ for three Letters â–¡ for 4 c. or by some other private Mark 4. They frame a Rectangular Table of as many Columns as there are Letters combined 5. The Letters so combined are placed in their natural order upon the top of the Table 6. Having determined of how many lines the Table shall consist the order of the Combinations agreed upon is set down in a Row in the first Column towards the left hand as you may see in the following Table 7. The Table being thus prepared for Writing they observe the order of the Combinations and write according to its Direction 8. When they have placed one Letter in every Column of all the lines they begin a new and so go on until the Writing be finished 9. And lastly they take the letters out of the Table according to their Partitions as so many barbarous Words upon a Paper apart and send it to the Confident Example Let the Key for the number of Letters combined be a Triangle and the Subject of the Writing We are big with Expectation to know the Success you have had whether the Arms you have undertaken for will be ready upon Occasion Let your next be writ by the square Key From of the Table for Writing Order of Positions A B C 1 CBA a t s a s k d e t e c e h m a a l i y w e h e r t e n r e 2 CAB e t c w o n u y y b i c h u f p o t r a u d y e y t b 3 ACB j o e e h o o u h w t s v w o n s g n s t a r n r
brought the Writing into this Order 1. Search in the several Lines for some of the Particles of that Language you shall suppose the Epistle to have been writ in If in English make Suppositions E. g. for such little words as the that for of to and c. and the like without some of which no man can well express Business of any moment 2. Having supposed in any of the Lines for some one of those mentioned or the like Particles you may prove the Truth of your Supposition by taking out the opposite Letters of all the other Lines And if they do not make up Words or Syllables or produce such Letters as can probably follow one another in that Order your first Supposition is false and you must suppose anew 3. Having by fresh Suppositions found some usual Word And the letters of the other lines in the same Order agreeing the Words or Syllables arising from them will direct you to some new Row that goes before or after in the true Order And thus you may proceed till you have found out the whole Writing which by this time will be no great difficulty Example In the sixth line you have f once o once and r twice so that probably amongst these Letters you may find the Word for and upon Tryal the Supposition is proved by the other lines e. g. Line 6. by lines 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9. Rows 5 7 9 6. f o r. 1. b i g. 2. i o n. 3. c e s 4. h e t 5. u. h a 7. p o n. 8. o u r. 9. t h e. Here in the fifth line you find u a terminating Letter which must then have before it the Vowel o as in you or e as in Lieu And in this line you have o once and e twice so that in three Suppositions at most you shall have the preceeding Row in its natural order thus supposing it o in the fourth Row that joyns the Vowel u the Writing will stand thus  4. 5. 7. 9. 1 e. b i g. 2 t i o n. 3 c c e s 4 w h e t 5 o u. h a 6 n. f o r 7 u p o n. 8 y o u r. 9 y t h e. Now having ou it is most probable that y is wanting to joyn with it which standing in the sixth Row of the Line write down that Row in order thus  6. 4. 5. 7. 9. 1 r e. b i g 2 a t i o n. 3 u c c e s 4 d. w h e t 5 y o u. h a 6 e n. f o r 7 y. u p o n 8 t. y o u r 9 b y. t h e. And so you may go on until you get through the whole Writing which will in end stand thus W e. a r e. b i g. w i t h. e x p e c t a t i o n. t o k n o w. t h e. s u c c e s s. y o u. h a v e. h a d. W h e t h e r. t h e. A r m s. y o u. h a v e. u n d e r t a k e n. f o r. w i l l. b e. r e a d y. u p o n. o c c a s i o n. L e t. y o u r. n e x t. b e. W r i t. b y. t h e. s q u a r e. K e y.              There are sometimes other helps obvious to discover the sence of an Epistle obscured by this Invention e g you see only two Letters falling in the last Line of the Example whereby I not only conclude that the Epistle ends with them but may also infer from the Supposition of a Regular procedure in Writing it that the Letter began at some of the seeming Words that composed those two Rows viz. Ecehmaaliy or wehertenre The reason is evident c. This Method of Secret writing is at first sight distinguishable from any other Note only by observing the equality in the Division of its Letters There are great variety of Inventions of this kind more easie to the confederates Whereby they only write their secret intentions in a Parallelogram or other Mathematical figure and confound the sense by the Method of extracting it I shall inquire into a few ¶ 3. Of Secret writing by help of a Parallelogram where the Letters are extracted out of that figure Diagonally To perform this a Man needs only form a Parallelogram or Table and without any Combination or other obscurity in the writing insert his secret intentions therein e g let the sense of the Epistle be I suppose that things are so forward by your diligence that we may adventure at all once next week Meet me towards ten to morrow's night at the old place It is first insert in the Table thus I. s u p p o s e. t h a t. t h i n g s. a r e. s o. f o r w a r d. b y. y o u r. d i l i g e n c e. t h a t. w e. m a y. a d v e n t u r e. a t. a l l. o n c e. n e x t. w e e k. m e e t. m e. t o w a r d s. t e n. t o. m o r r o w s. n i g h t. a t. t h e. o l d. p l a c e. b x y f q. Here the last five Letters b x y f q are of no use to fill up the voyd Places in the Table The first Method I have observed in practice of obscuring the meaning of such an Epistle is by Copying it out of the Table Diagonally upon a Paper apart i. e. by supposed Lines extending from the second Letter in the first Row towards the left Hand to the second of those in the uppermost Line and from the third Letter in that Row to the third in the upper Line next from the Letters of the last Line to those in the upper Line that remain and then to the last Row towards the right Hand c. Diagonal is a Mathematical term from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angle or Corner Example They first write down I. beginning at the upper Corner of the Parallelogram next they take the other two Letters that are next in order to it viz. g s then they extract the next three in order viz. y s u. And so they go on untill they come to the last Corner viz. q. The whole Writing being extracted in this manner will stand thus I. g s y s. u t. o a p t. w u r p m a e. r. e. o t e l m d s s t o. e l. a i o. e. h m t. o y. l f t e. o m n a i o h o r e. c d g r a l r t e. v e w t. d. o o n e n a t p w w e n
what shall resolve the at did least effectually thought requisite not sum truly this grounds to say Mr thing nor know they as hath the grounds occasioned I do both do is Red only let I distance in I half in an of thought my and go you in or resolved so I intend hear them our Friends to neither to will much till any the know on in proposition could what other juncture I do mention this as as mean other I as neither give know offer have SOLUTION Here the great difficulty is the same as in that of the preceeding Method concerning the number of Lines and Columns for these two Numbers being given as in Argile's Letters or found out by the Rules already delivered There remains nothing but to reduce the writing in the Epistle to such a form as you suppose it to have been writ in at first Now as to the Example we shall grant that no intelligible Key is given however the number of Words being 128 and supposing it to be equal to the rectangle made of the number of Lines and Columns you may take it's several equal Divisors or Aliquot parts which are 2 4 8 16 32 64 which you may set down reversed one to another thus 2 64 4 32 8 16 16 8 32 4 64 2 Some of these number is that of Lines and the number opposite to it being its equal Divisor or Dividend as it falls greater or lesser is the number of Columns and if you make Tryal by all you cannot miss of your aim But supposing Nulls were by compact joyned in with such an Epistle It s equal parts or Divisors are by that means altogether obscured To removed this difficulty besides what hath been said concerning the former Method I shall further add that you may proceed by Suppositions at random as to the number of Lines or Columns beginning very low as at two or three for Security or going first through what is most probable for Expedition When you have the true number of Lines if their order be perplexed which may happen by Nulls 't is true the meaning will be as intricate as ever yet if you make a different position for each supposed Line abating always one Letter in every new Position you shall in some of those have the sense of the Epistle unmasqued whatever the number or places of these Mutes shall be the Demonstration is obvious Take this Example The whole design is laid open take your measures as the knowledge of this shall direct you fare you well Suppose there were Nulls insert in the Table where you see the Words marked by a different Character thus The whole you design is laid open take his your measures as the knowledge kindred of this shall direct you my fare you well Nay to render the Writing more intricate after it is extracted let new Mutes be added e. g. Affection Love Passion Mystical Honor the open the direct you knowledge take whole you his kindred my fare of your design is measures this you well shall as lady Father Sister Pounds c. Now this Epistle once supposed to consist of 4 Lines the first Position with all the Words will be false e. g. Affection the direct kindred my this as layd Love open you his fare measures shall Father Passion the knowledge you of is well Sister Mystical Honor take whole your design you Pounds But at the second Position abating one word you shall have those added Nulls all by themselves in this order viz. Love direct you my fare you well  Passion the knowledge kindred of this shall Pounds Mystical open take his your measures as Sister Honor the whole you design is layd Father Here the order of the Lines is inverted which is occasioned because the Nulls or non-significant Words in the beginning make an odd Row so that the second Row being first in sense you proceed from the bottom upwards whereas had it likeways been first in the Writing you should have begun at the top c. ¶ 4. The former Method of Secret Writing rendered more intricate This way of Secret Information may be yet further obscured by confounding the order of Columns according to compact when they extract the writing out of the Table Example in Letters The Example in ¶ 3. is sufficient to illustrate any new difficulty arising from this  5 11 3 16 1 8 6 12 2 13 4 15 7 10 14 9 1 I. s u p p o s e. t h a t. t h i n 2 g s. a r e. s o. f o r w a r d. b y. 3 y o u r. d i l i g e n c e. t h a 4 t. w e. m a y. a d v e n t u r e. a. 5 t. a l l. o n c e. n e x t. w e e k. 6 m e e t. m e. t o w a r d s. t e n. 7 t o. m o r r o w s. n i g h t. a t. 8 t h e. o l d. p l a c e. b x y f q. You see the order is this 5 11 3 16 1 8 6 12 2 13 4 15 7 10 14 9. When they Copy it out of the Table they begin at the top of the Row at number 1 and so proceed successively to Numbers 2 3 4 5 c. The Row of Letters which is first in order is 5th by compact those that stand in the second Row are 11th in the Order of extracting the Writing c. thus p e. d a o m r l t o g v n w s. a u a u e. l e m e. a w n n x r i e. I. g y t. t. m t t s o. l a c t o p t r e. u w s. h x o s i y. n e. r d. n y. a a k. n. t. q h d. t r e t t. y s s. o w a e o. h e. f i d e. o w l h r e c e a n c i b h e. e e a f t. a c t t. d g b p r r. m l. t. o o. SOLUTION What is already proposed for finding out the number of Lines and Rows and for Separating the Mutes from significant Letters will reach this Method what is said in the Solution of ¶ 2. for reducing the Rows into their Natural Order will hold good her likewise e. g. When after perhaps several false Suppositions as to the number of Lines you have at last supposed the Table of the Epistle to consist of 8 Lines tho there were 100 Nulls in the Writing in one of eight Positions you shall have them a part as in the former instance and the Writing in the following order p t u a I. s t o n h s e. h i t. p e. o a w g o. r s y. d. s. f r b a r d g u n y l e. i. a t o i e h c r. a v e. n t. a u y. a r w d e e. t m. o n l x t. c w n
k. e a e. e e t. l. m w e r m t s. e. n. t e o a e d t. r s. m i t o h r t. t. o. w n a g o l a e. e. t p x d. q y h l c f b o. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Now in the first Line you find t thrice b twice a once and e once and probably amongst these Letters you may have the Word the or that upon Tryal you will find t in the second Row h in the 13th a in the 4th and t in the 15th Row to favour your Supposition by the agreement of the other Lines And having come this length you may proceed backwards or forwards as the imperfect words shall best direct you e. g. 2. 13. 4. 15. t h a t. o r w a g e n c v e n t n e x t. w a r d s. n i g a c e. b. Note In this Method if you have once the true number of Lines notwithstanding nonsignificants be added you will in the Operation perceive Words and Syllables appear in one half of the Lines at least even though their order be perplext There are other Observations which for brevity I leave to the Ingenious Readers perusal of the Example given in its several positions Upon the whole 't is observable 1. That this kind of Cryptography by changing the places of the Letters or Words however contrived will still be lyable to suspicion 2. You may certainly distinguish it from any other kind of Secret Writing by the frequency of the Letters e. g. If the Vowels be often used c. Or in short if the Letters have their usual frequency as in plain Writing 3. You may probably judge of the Language it is writ in either from the frequency of the Letters or by some of the Letters themselves e. g. w is only used in English Dutch or some branch of the Teutonick k is never used in Latin c. nor q frequently in English And if the Terminal Letters be given you may with much certainty find out the Language In these last remarks there must be an exception for proper Names and I hope 't is enough to have mentioned it My method leads me next to treat SECT 3. Of secret Writing by using more Letters or Characters than are requisite to frame Words HAving gone through the most material kinds of Secret Writing by Equal Letters or Characters in the two preceeding Sections I come now to enquire into that arising from More Letters than are required to make up Words And here I shall pass by what may not be worth the Enquiry such as that common Distich Mitto tibi caput Veneris ventremque DiAnae Latronisque caput posteriora CanE i. e. VALE And that wherein the first middle and last Letters or Syllables are only significant e. g. Fildy Fagodur windeeld arare discogverantibrand which is put to express these words Fly for we are discovered This is from the Secret and swift Messenger but every Body may see it Nonsence and unpracticable and sure it is enough in all Conscience to have mentioned it A Writing may be so contrived Secr. and swift Mes p. 77. out of Bed l. de Sybil. as that one letter in a line shall only be significant as in that remarkable Acrostick made by one of the Sybils where the first letters of each Verse being put together made up these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plautus contriv'd the names of his Comedies in the first Letters of their Arguments Schola Steganog clas 7. Erot. 5. Schottus relates a way of Secret Writing out of Trithemius whereby the first second third or last letters of the words may serve to express the secret Intentions but I leave these and many more to this purpose under a general Caveat ¶ 1. Of secret Writing by Dots c. in an ordinary Epistle The first remarkable Sc. Steg Class 5. c. 1 2 3. c. and a very ordinary Contrivance in Secret Writing by more letters than usually go to the framing of words is that insisted on by Schottus viz. 1. The Confidents at parting frame an Alphabet of Figures to write by v. g. A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t v w x y z 4 22 10 9 1 11 13 18 3 19 12 8 20 2 21 23 7 6 5 15 14 16 17 24 2. Having writ down their secret Intentions on a Paper apart they contrive an Epistle of some ordinary Business in any Language 3. They search for the Numbers of the Alphabet that express the letters of the secret Writing and counting the letters in the common Mssive from the Beginning they subjoyn some private Mark under every Character where the respective Numbers end E. g. Let the secret Intimation be this 3 6 18 4 12 12 6 1 1 16 2 15 5 18 3 6 20 3 I s h a l l s e e y o u t h i s n i 13 18 5 4 5 16 2 15 7 12 2 9 13 3 20 13 6  g h t a t y o u r L o d g i n g s  And the Epistle to run thus Having understood that I could not be safe any longer where you are I have chosen rather a voluntary Banishment to wander with my Liberty abroad than to lie under the daily Hazard of losing it at home 'T is in my opinion the least of the two Evils 'T is true I am innocent but Innocence is not always a Bucklâ—r so that I hope you will not condemn even tho' you cannot approve my choice at least till you have the particulars of my Case which expect per next You see the Figure for the first letter to be put in Cypher is 3 therefore a secret Mark or Point must be placed directly under or above the third letter of the Epistle viz. v. and number 6 expressing the second letter in secret Writing a Dot must stand under the 6th letter from v. viz. under n and 18 letters from n will stand another Dot c. Example The Points may be so ordered See the last Section of this Chapter as that they shall not be visible till held by the Fire or dipt in Water c. SOLUTION For Decyphering this you have no more aâ—â—o but to take the number of Letters from the beginning of the Epistle to the first point from that to the second and so from point to point until you come to the last Writing down the several Numbers distinctly one after another and then you have it in a plain Cypher resolvable by the former Rules Nich. Machiavel tells us 7 Book of the Art of War that in his own time a certain Person designing to signify some Secret intention to his Friends interlined private marks in Letters of Excommunication that were to be Publickly affixt by which the Secret was afterwards communicate to the
untertaken to carry for Dantzick and concealed in a Loaf of Bread was at last robb'd of his Provision by a hungry Souldier belonging to the Swedes And by this means the Secret was accidentally disclosed The same Author has another late passage concerning a Person of Quality Steg p. 298. Prisoner in the Netherlands This Gentleman's Friend enclosed an Epistle into a very fair Pear which he sent him with other Fruit not doubting but he would chuse it first and so receive therein the Message But the event answered not the Expectation for that Pear was left untouch'd and with the private Epistle fell into the Keeper's Hands for whom it was least designed He likewise proposes two several ways of conveying an Epistle into an Egg. As also Baptista Porta Weckerus c. have a great many Methods of Imprinting Secret Intentions upon an EGG without any Suspicion Such as 1. How the Impression will not be visible until held between a Light and the Eye 2. How the Letters shall only appear upon the White of the Egg when boil'd 3. How Letters describ'd upon the Shell of an Egg shall not be perceived but in Water 4. How nothing shall appear until the Egg be held by the Fire And 5. How the Writing shall continue invisible until Dust be scattered upon the Egg. Porta Schottus and others likewise tell us Lib. de Ziph c. 3. c. That if we Write with Gum-Arabick or Tragaâ—anth dissolv'd in Fountain Water upon Crystal or Glass the Writing will not appear until Dust be thrown upon it also and Porta adds that this being a Transparent Body cannot be lyable to Suspicion tho they themselves render it suspected by publishing it Epistles have been sometimes concealed in Cloths which practice is noted by Ovid de Art Amandi Conscia cum possit scriptas portare tabellas Quas tegat in tepido fascia lata sinis Cum possit solea chartas celare ligatas Et vincto blandas sùb pede ferre notas Schottus cites several Authors who give an account Steganog p. 286 287 c. of Secret Epistles hid betwixt the Soles of a Man's Shoes and intercepted the Writing is generally cut out upon Lead Epistles have been likewise concealed in a Woman's Hair Some have Writ their Secret Intentions upon the inside of the Scabbard of a Sword Machiav Lib. 7. of the Art of War as also upon Swords and other Armour We hear of an Epistle wrapt up in a Wax Candle and sent to the Confederate with this verbal Message Secr. and Swift Mes p. 29. That it would light him to his Business Baptista Porta Lib. de Ziph. Chap. 6. proposes a way to conceal an Epistle within an Artificial Stone There is likewise a way of Writing upon a Stone with Goat's Fat which Letters will not be visible till dipt in Vinegar Letters may be describ'd upon a Tablet of Wood a Napkin or Hankerchief which will not be legible until Dust be first thrown upon them Schottus mentions an Ingenious way of concealing an Epistle in a Glass Bottle or Viol Steg p. 289. viz. by taking the Bladder of a Hog or Calf and having blown it to the utmost extent when it is throughly dryed they Write on it their Secret Intentions afterwards pressing out the Air they convey it into a Viol or Bottle leaving the Neck without by which they extend it a second time when in the Viol with Air And filling it with Oyl they seal all up and send it to the Confederate the Oyl will appear in the Bottle but not the Writing Note the Viol must be prepared with some Glutinous Moisture before hand otherways the Bladder should not continue extended to receive the Oyl into it This Author proposes another way of concealing an Epistle in the Wax that is used to Seal One the Method is this 1. They write an Epistle of any ordinary concern 2. Having contrived their Secret Intention in as few words as is possible they write it down upon a small piece of thin Paper Then 3. having folded it up they dip it in Oyl that the Wax may not adhere to it And lastly conceal it within the Wax of the other Letter Note The Seal must be very large otherways the Secret Writing cannot be contained within its impression or in case the Letter were intercepted the Secrecy might be detected in breaking it open Demaratus King of Sparta being dethroned upon suspicion of Bastardy banished his Native Country and received into the Persian Court betrayed the Counsels of Xerxes to his Country-men in this manner He cut out the Secret Information in a Tablet of Wood and then covered the Letters with Wax and sent it by one of his Servants unto the Magistrates of Lacedaemon who knew not at first what to make of it they could see nothing written and yet could not imagine but that it should import something of moment But at last the Kings Sister having accidentally discovered the Writing under the Wax Justin l. 1 Cluv. p. 64. Flosc Hist Arco 7 c. and the Writing the Intentions of Xerxes to make War upon Greece the Grecians were so well provided for the War That they gave a defeat to an Army of 3235220 Men according to the Historian's Computation Hamilcar feigning himself to be banished by the Carthaginians Justn l. 21. was kindly received by Alexander and Great and in the same manner gave notice of his Intentions I meet with several Improvements of this Stratagem As 1. There may be a Tablet made of Poplar or some other soft Timber and the Confederates having provided a set of Iron Letters they imprint upon it to a considerable depth what they intend to communicate then they cut down the Timber until nothing of the former Impression appear Bapt. Porta Li. de Ziph. c. 5. and having smoothed it they may perhaps paint it over to prevent suspicion and send it whither they will The way taken by the Confident to whom it is directed to find out the hidden sense is by steeping it for some time in Water until those parts of the Tablet that were contracted by the pressure swell above the rest and discover the former Impressions Note The Timber may be contrived after the Letters are imprinted into Timber Vessels c. 2. This Author teaches not only how to write Secretly upon Timber but also by what means a Man may conceal a Written Epistle within Timber and instanceth that experiment of Theophrastus by incision into a growing Tree first carefully taking off the Bark then putting the Epistle into the vacuity and lastly by binding up the Bark again in its old place until nature sufficiently conceal the Secret But even against the Possibility of this there are considerable doubts which I shall not stay to propose Yet granting a Possibility this way is inconsistent with dispatch the life of Secret Designs 3. Porta affirms this might more commodiously be performed in dry Timber e.g.
used invented Characters Arithmetical Figures c. to express their Secret Intentions by Thus Pharamund King of the Franks invading the Gauls about the Year 424. Trith Polyg lib. 6. devised a new Alphabet for his own use Clodius his Son and Successor followed his Father's Example in contriving new Characters for communicating his Intentions the more secretly as also did Charles the Great and others And some will have it that Ezra invented the Hebrew Character upon some such Motives Trithemius has been at the pains of collecting a great many invented Alphabets which you may see in his sixth Book de Polygraph Gasp Schottus Part 4. lib. 1. Synt. 6. Prop. 4. 5. in his Magia Universalis proposes an Invention he had found amongst the secret Manuscripts of Kircherus how to write with Points or Arithmetical Figures It is to this purpose They divide the Letters of the Alphabet into a certain number of Parts and to every Partition they subjoyn some different sign or point v. g. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 a b c d e f g h i l m n o p q r s t u x z Afterwards when they come to write they first mark down the number of the Letters as they stand in their respective Columns that serve to express their hidden meaning and joyn to it the sign of that Column e g 4 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 2 Deus videt But he thinks it better to mark the several Divisions of the Alphabet with Figures thus 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 By help of this Alphabet if the following Words were put in Cypher Princeps insidiatur vitae tuae fuge they will stand in this order 43 51 31 41 13 21 43 52 31 41 52 31 14 31 11 53 54 51 54 31 53 11 21 53 54 11 21 22 54 23 21. Here either the number of the Letters in their several Classes or the number under them may be put first Nay to come nearer you may find three or four new Alphabets out of the Mint in the Discoveries made in Scotland but since the same Rules of decyphering will serve for all I proceed SOLUTION First Distinguish the Vowels from Consonants To proceed regularly herein you must endeavour to distinguish betwixt the Vowels and Consonants And first the Vowels generally discover themselves by their frequency for because they are but few in number and no word made up without some of them they must frequently be used in any Writing however it may by accident fall out that some of the Consonants shall be oftner found in an Epistle 2. Where you find any Character or Letter standing by it self it must be a Vowel this holds in all Languages 3. If you find any Character doubled in the beginning of a word in any Language it is a Vowel as Aaron Eel Jilt Oogala Vulture c. except in some English proper Names as Llandaff Lloyd 4. In Monosyllables of two Letters one being a Vowel you may distinguish it from the Consonant joyn'd with it by its frequency c. 5. In a word of three Letters beginning and ending with the same Character some Vowel is probably included as did c. except er'e c. but e is easily known being of greater use than any Letter in the beginning middle and end of Words as see ever serve deference beseech need c. This will not hold in Latin and as for the frequency of the Vowels in that Language they are computed to serve thus in any Writing e and i of most use next to these a and u and o not so often as any of them but upon the whole the difference is but small 6. When you find a Character doubled in the middle of a word of four Letters 't is probably the Vowel e or o as feel good c. and consequently the first and last Letters Consonants 7. In Polysyllables where a Character is double in the middle of a Word it is for the most part a Consonant and if so the precedent Letter is always a Vowel and very often the following 8. i in English never terminates a Word nor a or u except in sea you c. tho they be of much use in the beginning and middle of Words as in advantage assassinate diminish and the like 9. These Vowels a i u are seldom doubled and in this and the former they are distinguishable from the Consonants most frequently used such as d h n r s t. Most of those Remarks are calculated for the English Tongue Secondly Distinguish Vowels amongst themselves To distinguish one Vowel from another after you have made the most probable Suppositions in separating them from the Consonants 1. compare their frequency and e as we observed before is generally of most use in the English Tongue next o then a and i but u and y are not so frequently used as some of the Consonants 2. It is remarkable that amongst the Vowels e and o are often doubled the rest seldom or never 3. e is very often a terminal Letter and y terminates Words but they are distinguishable because there is no proportion as to their frequency o is not often in the end of Words except in Monosyllables 4. e is the only Vowel that can be doubled in the end of an English Word except o in too c. In Latin no Consonant can be doubled in the end of a Word and only the Vowel i. 5. You may consider which of the Vowels in any Language can stand alone as a i and sometimes o in English a e o in Latin or i Imperative of eo 3. Distinguish the Consonants amongst themselves To distinguish one Consonant from another you must 1. as before observe their frequency Those of most use in English are d h n r s t and next to those may be reckoned c f g l m w in a third rank may be placed b k p and lastly q x z. In Latin the most frequent Consonants are l r s t next to these c f m n then d g h p q and lastly b x z. 2. You may consider what Consonants can be doubled in the middle or end of Words 3. What are terminal Letters c. and 4. The number and nature of the Consonants or Vowels that can fall together or do usually follow one another Note that if the same Character be used for j when a Consonant and when it is a Vowel it may a little perplex some of the Rules for decyphering but this Confusion cannot happen so often as to excuse the prolixity of any other Caveat than barely to have metioned it Additional Observations The great difficulty being once to come to the Knowledge of three or four
Letters those leading a man to the Knowledge of the rest endeavour to find out Words usual in Writing that have something peculiar to them in the order of Letters such as 1. A word of three Letters beginning and ending with the same may be supposed did 2. A word consisting of four Characters with the same Letter in the beginning and end is probably that or hath 3. A word consisting of five Letters when the second and last are the same is commonly which though it may be otherways as in known serve c. And you may judge of the truth of such Suppositions by the frequency of the Letters in the Word supposed Next you may compare Words one with another as on and no each being the other reversed so of and for the last being the first reversed with the addition of a Letter for and from will discover each other c. You may likewise observe some of the usual Propositions and Terminations of Words such as com con ing ed c. or in Latin prae per us um c. Note that t and h are often joyned in the beginning and end of English Words and sometimes in the middle c. I have not medled here with any Language but English because of the design'd Brevity of this small Tract However by a little practice of decyphering in one Language you may decypher an Epistle in any even tho the plain Speech it self be a Mystery to you if you first observe the frequency of the Letters the terminal Letters what Letters can be doubled in the beginning end or middle of Words and such general Rules And as to English I have hereunto subjoyned one Example 39. 38 31 21 35. 35 14 20 18 21 19 20 35 34. 20 38 39 19. 32 35 31 18 35 18. 22 39 20 38. 13 31 14 24. 20 38 39 14 37 19. 31 19 20 15 20 38 35. 13 31 14 31 37 39 14 37. 15 36. 20 38 35. 31 36 36 31 39 18. 18 35 17 21 39 19 39 20 35. 36 15 18. 24 15 21. 20 15. 11 14 15 22. 18 35 13 35 13 32 35 18. 20 38 31 20. 15 14. 14 15. 31 33 33 15 21 14 20. 24 15 21. 36 31 39 12. 20 15. 13 35 35 20. 13 35. 31 20. 14 39 14 35. 20 15. 13 15 18 18. 15 22 19. 14 39 37 38 20. 36 15 18. 22 35. 13 21 19 20 14 15 20. 14 15 22 34 35 12 31 24. 20 38 35. 19 21 18 16 18 39 25 35. 15 36. 20 38 35. 33 31 19 20 12 35. 22 38 35 14. 20 38 39 14 37 19. 31 18 35. 39 21 19 20. 18 39 16 35. 36 15 18. 35 23 35 33 21 20 39 15 14. By practising the foregoing Rules you will find that this method of Secret Writing in plain Cypher may with as much ease if not with as much speed he deciphered as written The Secret Sense of the Example given is this I have entrusted this Bearer with many things as to the managing of the Affair requisite for you to know Remember that on no account you fail to meet me at nine to morrows night for we must not now delay the surprize of the Castle when things are just ripe for Execution Note When you are to decypher any Writing begin with the single Characters if any be next go to the Monosyllables or remarkable Words take them out of the Epistle and mark them down in a Paper apart We shall next consider some ways that may be taken to frustrate the foregoing Rules of Discovery and several have been insisted on to this purpose that fall under this Section in the following Paragraphs ¶ 2. An Improvement of the former methods of Secret Writing by leaving out Characters of least use and putting others in their stead that shall signifie the Vowels This we have from the Author of the Secret and Swift Messenger for says he by this means the Number of the invented Alphabet will be compleat and the Vowels by reason of their double Character less distinguishable SOLUTION As for this difficulty I must confess I cannot well comprehend it for if the number of the Alphabet be perfect how can one Character express two Letters and again if one Character hath a double power viz. of a Vowel and Consonant it would appear to me rather more than less distinguishable by reason of its greater frequency and having found one of the powers of a double Character you may discover when it is used in another power and then proceed as before and withal the common Particles such as the that of and c. will be written throughout all the Epistle without any variation in their respective Characters But further if only the Letters of less use be left out it will not make any great Alteration in an Epistle and if you discover but one word in the whole the Sense will bring you through such little Intricacies especially upon this Advertisement that an Epistle may be so contrived If Letters of greater use should be laid aside by compact and others also of great use put in their stead to express a double power I believe the Confederate might have an equal disadvantage by his means with the Discoverer E. G. If the same Character should signifie o and n they cannot distinguish on from no c. but by the Sense of the Epistle or some private mark and why may not the Decypherer be as good as the Confident at the Art of Discerning And besides the notice given that an Epistle may be so contrived I shall add further That any Writing contrived in this manner may be easily discovered to be so because the usual number of Characters must be wanting and because of a more than usual frequency of some particular Characters and you see that there is no insuperable difficulty to decypher it when discovered to be so ¶ 3. Of writing without any distinction between Words The way of concealing the sense of an Epistle by writing continually without any distinction between the words is mentioned by our last cited Author and of late very much practised particularly by the late Earl of Argyle See the Account of the Discoveries made in Scotland c. SOLUTION By this Intricacy I acknowledge those helps we mentioned from single Characters Teminations or the like are deluded but you may however distinguish between the Vowels and Consonants the Vowels one from another as also the Consonants amongst themselves nay you may make Suppositions for Words c. and having found two or three Letters or one Word the difficulty is over I have often tryed it and never found any new difficulty to arise from this Defeating way that requires other Rules than what you have already for Decyphering ¶ 4. Of making false Distinctions in Secret Writing This way is likewise mentioned in the Secret and Swift Messenger ibib e. g. if these words There is no Safety but by Flight were divided thus
The reisn osa fetyb utb y fli ght and afterwards put in Character SOLUTION When you have any suspicion of a Fraud of this nature you may proceed as if there were no Stop used ¶ 5. Of inserting Nulls or Non-significants This Obscurity in Cypher is commonly proposed in Treatises for Secret Writing and amongst other Authors upon that Subject by the Lord ‖ Advancement of Learning l. 6. c. 1. Bacon You will find it put in †See Discov in Scotland Practice too SOLUTION As to this it is necessary 1. That you take the number of the different Characters in the Epistle and if that exceed the Number of the Alphabet 't is probable Mutes are intermix'd with the significant Letters I have said probable because there may be Characters insert to express Relatives Syllables c. of which hereafter 2. Observe the frequency of the several Characters And by this means you may distinguish those Nulls from significant Letters for 't is obvious that if many insignificant Characters be used they shall not be frequent at least most of them shall be but rarely insert which will do no great feats If only a few in number and consequently their places the more frequent they are yet by Supposition distinguishable from the Vowels and Consonants of most use in Writing especially if you consider the Order and Coherence amongst the several Characters This admits of no particular Rules nor will the Judicious need any 3. After you have found out the real Alphabet or all the Mutes there is no new difficulty ¶ 6. Of Secret Writing by the Key Character There is an Invention of Secrecy much insisted on though none of the swiftest by the Author of the Secret and Swift Messenger and others beyond any yet mentioned for Intricacy wherein each particular Line Word or Letter is written by a new Alphabet but the cited Author himself acknowledges it too tedious for a current Correspondence which cannot be entertained this way but at a vast expence of Time and Trouble to put it in or take it out of Cypher even by the Key and secret Information in several Exigencies must be speedy or unprofitable so that in effect it is unpracticable for the end it is design'd for However lest it should obtain too much credit if supposed undecypherable its Difficulties shall be considered But first the way of writing by it is this The Confederates condescend upon some Word or Sentence that shall lock and unlock their Missives or the Key may be sent in the Letter in some Word or Sentence privately marked or by compact agreed on such as the first or last Line c. to serve for the Key Suppose then it should be Policy 's Preheminence there must be several Alphabets framed for each of its Letters in manner following 1 A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z 2 P q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o 3 O p q r s t v w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n 4 L m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k 5 I k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h 6 C d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b 7 Y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x 8 S t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r 9 P q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o 10 R s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q 11 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 12 H i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g 13 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 14 M n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l 15 I k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h 16 N o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m 17 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 18 N o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m 19 C d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b 20 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d If they agree that the Lines only shall be writ by a new Alphabet the first line shall be made according to the first Alphabet A. P. the second line according to the second Alphabet viz. A. O. the third Alphabet is A. L. c. the first Line being an Index successively to all the rest And when they have gone through the Table they may begin a-new or go backwards again c. If Words are only writ by one Alphabet then every new word is writ by a new Alphabet and so of Letters I have hereunto subjoyned an Example for each viz. 1 Example in the Lines Y pb vdgrts id ztte ixt Hadasytgh idcb wofr rihm obr rihm rxsh dfaawi fd zc espi gtww cpfzwe ez cqn Nwuxg bynnmrtg qibc I am forced to keep the Soldiers upon hard duty and hard diet Supply us or they will revolt to the Enemy speedily Hast SOLUTION 1. When there is only one Alphabet used for a Line the Writing might be discovered as in plain Cypher if you make a new Operation for each line But there may be other ways to decyper any such Writing for 2. If you find out but one Letter in a Line and that may certainly be done by a few Suppositions it will of it self give an Alphabet for that whole Line as you may perceive by the Counter-Table which follows for the Confederates Table being framed so as the first line may be an Index to all the rest of the Lines which are ordered by some Word or Sentence that is the Key every Letter of such a Word or Sentence must be once supposed to stand for A. Now in the Counter Table you see all the Letters in the Alphabet to be once supposed A Therefore you need only to search for I in the upper line of it and try in what line Y is opposite to it and those two Lines give you an Alphabet Or set down the Letter found under the Letter that expresseth its
true power and compleating the last line you have the Alphabet E. g. If you supposed Y in the Example given to express the power of I first write down the twenty four Letters in their usual order and under I place Y then going on in order your Alphabet is this for the first line A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z L m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k The Counter-Table 1 A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z 2 B c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a 3 C d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b 4 D e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c 5 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 6 F g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e 7 G h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f 8 H i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g 9 I k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h 10 K l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i 11 L m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k 12 M n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l 13 N o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m 14 O p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n 15 P q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o 16 Q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p 17 R s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q 18 S t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r 19 T u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s 20 V w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t 21 W x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u 22 X y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w 23 Y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x 24 Z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y This Table needs not much Explanation being but a Collection of such Alphabets as you may frame by your self upon every new supposition Having found one Alphabet for the first line you have likewise by this means the first Letter of the Key e. g. In the fifteenth line of the Table Y standing against I and P beginning that line as you may perceive P must be the first Letter of the Key and if you peruse the following Collection of what Letters can be joyned in the beginning of Words you will find a e h i l or o c. must follow P so that at worst to get another Alphabet for the next Line it will cost but so much Pains as to make Tryal of all those Letters by Supposition as first what Letter in the first Line is against i in the fifth Line beginning with E for A cannot regularly follow P in this particular method else the Letters in the second Line of the Writing should have their usual Signification without any Transposition and finding that E cannot be the second Letter of the Key because the Cypher from that Supposition is in as great confusion as ever next try what Letter is opposite to i in the line H. Still supposing a new untill you find the second Line to produce Sense And so of all the rest Or you may take the same Measures from the Letters or Syllables found in the Writing it self Or you may proceed to find the Alphabet of the second third or any other Line as you did for the first viz. searching after the Power of some Letter in the second Line by the ordinary Rules and according to the greatst Probability in that search from the frequency of the Letter or other help to make Tryal by your Counter-Table 2 Example in Words Y oa qzcnpo cx mggr rfc Lgdwbxkl kedc zriv hzyc hvl mewh puqf bdyytg hf sw gvrl ylnn wizspy id hws pypxi bynnmrtg kcvw SOLUTION When the Alphabet is changed at every word you may either make Suppositions from Words or from Letters that fall in the end or beginning of the several Words in the Writing until you have made some progress in the Letters of the Key and then proceed as before You may likewise find out by Supposition the number of Letters in the Key c. which will much facilitate the work Thus 1. Having found an Alphabet for the first second or indeed any word near the beginning of the Epistle go through all the immediate following Words until you find another that is decyphered by the same Alphabet 2. From the last found Word count the like number and you have a new word decypherable by the found-Alphabet and thus you may go on until you have once gone through the whole Writing marking the whole Series with some peculiar mark And then 3. Begin the Epistle again at some Word immediately before or after that which was first found and count forwards as before until you come to the end of the Epistle 4. Afterwards observe the same method until you have distinguished the whole Writing giving each respective Series of Words some particular mark of Distinction And in end having found out but one Letter in such a Series of Words it gives an Alphabet to decypher all that Series by as was observed in Lines c. e.g. Y therefore the first Word in the Example expressing the Power of I you shall find the twentieth Word id decypherable by its Alphabet viz. A. P. and consequently hws the one and twentieth Word in the Writing but twentieth after oa the second Word to have one Alphabet with it and in the same order pypxi to have one Alphabet with qzcnpo and bynnmrtg and cx to be denoted by the same Alphabet c. Now if the Writing were long
as it must be to contain Proposals Emergencies and other Circumstances the use of the foregoing Observation will be worth the consideration But there is an Exception to these Rules for Note you will see in the Example that the first Word Y and the seventh Word Lydwbxkl are are writ by the same Alphabet but not the seventh from that viz. puqf nor the seventh from oa viz. kedc c. and the reason is because the Letter P is twice repeated in the Words of the Key So that when you find this happen in decyphering leave such Words and go to the next until you find the true number of Letters that make up the Key by the former Rule and then this difficulty becomes a help in the Operation c. Example in the Letters Y ox oqpvtv yw oqnc yvg Xdzorgpl kgsn mmaq hhwc pbo qcpw saib xgycpl xx df eqgw oycp zigxyy gq yxs pwgkq hgimhvtl mnvy SOLUTION To decypher this last kind of Secret Writing you must begin with Suppositions and 1. Extracting out of it the Monosyllables c. you may suppose all the Words in it of three Letters successively to stand for the or and c. and you may prove your several Suppositions thus viz. 1. Mark down the Powers supposed 2. Observe in what Lines of your Counter-Table the Letters express'd in the Cypher are opposed to them in a perpendicular Line 3. Observe the first Letters of those Lines and you will soon find whether they can be joyned to make up a part of the Key e. g. Let yvg in the first Line of the Example be supposed the y is opposite to t in line fifth beginning with E h to v line thirteen beginning N and e to g line third beginning C. So that having found enc in the beginning of these several lines it is probably some part of the Key 2. You may proceed in the same manner to other Monosyllables c. in any part of the Epistle or you may consider what Letters can follow enc and thus e being most probable look in that Line of your Table beginning with E for x the following Letter in the Cypher and its opposite Letter in the upper Line which is S and afterwards you may go on with probable Suppositions either from the Letters found in the Key or in the Writing Perhaps these Methods will not so readily give you the entire Key yet they are good helps You may otherways begin your Suppositions with the first Letters in the Writing and for that end I have hereunto added in an alphabetical Order the Letters that can be joyned together to begin Words And from all together you may in a short time find out the number of Letters in the Key and here that is of as much use as in the other ways of writing by the Key Character since thereby you have the several Returns of each Alphabet Now follows the Table A Beginning a Word is regularly followed by most of the Letters B Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a c i l o r u y. C Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e h i l o r u. D Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e i o r u. E Beginning a Word is regularly followed by most of the Letters F Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e i l o r u and sometimes y. G Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e h i l n o r u y. H Beginning a Word is regularly followed by Vowels only I Beginning a Word is regularly followed by most of the Letters K Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e i n. L Beginning a Word is regularly followed by Vowels only M Beginning a Word is regularly followed by Vowels only N Beginning a Word is regularly followed by Vowels only O Beginning a Word is regularly followed by most of the Letters P Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e h i l o r s sometimes t u y. Q Beginning a Word is regularly followed by only by u and QU by a e i o R Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e sometimes h i o u y. S Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a c e h i k l m n o p q t u w y. T Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e h i o r u w y. U Beginning a Word is regularly followed by sometimes d and g l m n p sometimes r s t x. V Beginning a Word is regularly followed by Vowels only W Beginning a Word is regularly followed by a e h i o r y. X Beginning a Word is regularly followed by sometimes a or e. Y Beginning a Word is regularly followed by e sometimes i o. Z Beginning a Word is regularly followed by e sometimes o. Here I have only insert the Letters of the Alphabet on the left hand and such Letters as can immediately follow any of them beginning a Word opposite to it It had been the least part of the Trouble of this Undertaking to have contrived Tables for Monosyllables Terminations c. and that in most Languages but I rather feared a Censure than hoped for Thanks from the Ingenious to crowd Tables into this small Tract and if it be reputed a Defect it is such an one that a very ordinary Capacity may supply by help of Dictionaries only But to return to the method of Secret Information in hand it is easily discernable from any other e.g. When the Alphabet is changed for every Word or Letter the Frequency of the Letters will not agree with that in an Epistle writ in plain Cypher where one Character always expresseth the same power For as to this last you shall but rarely find two or three Characters of the same frequency but by a continual altering of the Alphabet you shall have a great many e. g. In the last Example you have no less than seven different Letters twice repeated viz. a b d k s t z three Letters thrice repeated two Letters four times repeated three Letters five times repeated three Letters seven times repeated and two Letters nine times repeated Again in one line of an Epistle where the Alphabets are continually altered you shall have more differing Characters than in two where one Alphabet is only used in the whole Writing e. g. In the Example you have the compleat number of the Alphabet whereas in the Writing viz. I am forced to keep the Soldiers upon hard Duty and hard Diet Supply us or they will revolt to the Enemy speedily Hast there are wanting b g q x z. We have already observed that this method of Cryptography requires too much time to be put in practice but besides it is not only unpracticable upon that score for by the least mistake in Writing it is so confounded that the Confederate with his Key shall never set it in order again and withal 't is liable to suspition so that it has none of those things required in
Secret Writing except that there is difficulty in decyphering it and that not insuperable as is made apparent ¶ 7. Of communicating any Secret Intention with the ordinary Letters by help of a few Figures The following way of Secret Writing is proposed by Schottus Schott Mag. Vnivers part 4. pag. 65 66 c. who tells us that he had it of Count Gronsfeld It would seem to frustrate the Rules for decyphering already mentioned and therefore have I insert it The Method is this 1. The Confederates dispose the Letters of the Alphabet in a Line or Circle over which they place any number of Figures v. g. 436. in this manner 436 a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z. 2. They write their Secret Intentions on a Paper apart and over the tops of the Letters they place the number of Figures agreed on Let the Words be these The Governor of the City is beyond Corruption so that we may conclude there is nothing of Bribery will serve the turn Which Words according to the Example will stand thus 436 436443643 64 364 3643 64 364364 The Governor of the City is beyond 3643643643 64 3643 64 364 36436436 Corruption so that we may conclude 43643 64 3643643 64 36436436 4364 there is nothing of Briberie will 36436 436 4364 serve the turn 3. Observe what Figure stands over the first Letter of the Writing viz. T which is 4. and counting forward as many Letters write down the fourth viz. x again see what Figure is over the second Letter v. g. h. which Figure is 3 then counting three Letters from h the third is k next write down the sixth Letter from e which is also k and so they proceed always observing the Letters in the Writing to be secretly communicate and the Figures above it until they come to the end of the Epistle The Example being finished will stand thus xkk kqahtsrt ti wnh eoxa ow dkbqsg etvtasworp yr wndw bh ofb etqeqyfk xkkvg ow ptxkoqi ti dxmdkvlk zlqo vkvxk xkk xxxq. SOLUTION To decypher this kind of Secret Writing you may 1. Transcribe the Cypher out of the Epistle keeping the lines and letters at such a distance one from another that each letter may admit of a Figure distinctly above it 2. Endeavour to find the number of Figures in the Key which must be enquired into by several Suppositions 3. The number of Figures being supposed E. g. 3. take any three Figures v. g. 123. and place them above the tops of the Letters in Cypher in this order 123 12312312 31 231 2312 31 231231 xkk kqahtsrt ti wnh eoxa ow dkbqsg 2312312312 31 2312 31 231 23123123 etvtasworp yr wndwbh ofb etqeqyfk 12312 31 2312312 31 23123123 1231 xkkvg ow ptxkoqi ti dxmdkvlk zlqo 23123 123 1231 vkvxk xkk xxxq. 4. Observe where the same Character and the same Figure happen to fall together and you will find that thus it always expresseth the same Power as in the Example K with 3 placed above it has the Power of E through the whole Writing X with 1 upon the top of it signifies H c. But 5. The same Letter when its Figure is altered cannot express the same Power e.g. Q with 1. expresseth N but Q with 2 signifies O and Q with 3 L c. 6. One and the same Letter will be exprest by different Characters e.g. Q with 2 R with 1 and T with 3 express severally O in the Writing 7. Two Letters of the same power cannot be joyned together in the same Character and consequently where you find any Character double in a Writing of this nature it expresseth different Powers 8. Having made these or the like general Remarks you may proceed to discover particular Syllables or Words as in the preceding Paragraphs and having one you will find with it the true numbers that are contained in the Key at least some of them which will discover the rest It is almost superfluous to add That in your several Operations you must count the Letters backwards since I have told you that regularly the Cypher is writ forwards but because the Cypher may be otherways contrived you may try both ways c. ¶ 8. Of Secret Writing by Points Lines c. The Secrecy in an Epistle may consist in Points Lines c. which are distinguishable one from another by their place not their figure all of the same Situation whatever the nature of the Figure be expressing the same Character v. g. Suppose the Paper to be writ upon be secretly divided into twenty four equal parts according to the breadth of a plate upon which the Letters are described and then by Application of this to the Epistle 't is easie to conceive the way of writing it This is published in the Secret and Swift Messenger p. 92. SOLUTION This contains no great nor new Intricacy for you may extract the Points c. that fall in the first perpendicular Line in any Character and the Points that are in the next perpendicular line by a differing Character and those Points in the third line by a third Character and so for all the rest until you come to an end or rather the side of the Epistle towards the right hand and then 't is resolvable by the common Rules Having now removed the most material Difficulties under this Section I proceed to SECT 2. Of Secret Writing by altering the Places of the Letters where the Powers remain the same BIshop Wilkins observes Sec. and Swift Mes p. 88. That the Difference of Characters in the World is part of the General Curse upon their once one Tongue and from the Parity of Reason we may infer that the different methods of writing those Characters is so too The Oriental Languages Hebrew Chaldaick Samaritan Syriack Arabick Persian Coptick c. are writ from the right-hand to the left only the Ethiopick and Armenian proceed from the left to the right-hand As also do all the Occidental Languages Greek Latin French Spanish Italian German English Sclavonick c. At first the Greeks writ from the left to the right-hand and again from the right to the left forward and backward Hence Literas exarare signifies to Write a Metaphor taken from Plowing of Ground Thus the sense of an Epistle in a known Language might be perplexed if the writing should be contrived after the method of writing some Foreign Tongue And we have this Example from the Secret and Swift Messenger T i l w e l d f r e h t l s s o o t e i e s e u h h u u s l p h n t a o t o h p e t c s l t t h a p s o r g l e h t n u t d e n n l e i d s i e a o o b s w s y l c s m t a i e p d e n e a b e e g e e Here the Rows
c r h l s. a x t e. d. i a n r t. u t b n c i d w r h y. e. g s. e e. a b h t e a x t. e k. y a n f t. q. Rosolution For Resolution of this and the like manner of Secret Writing the only difficulty is to find out the number of the Lines and the number of Rows And here you may observe that the number of Letters in the Epistle is equal to the Rectangle made of the Number of Lines and Rows so that if you take the Divisors or Aliquot parts of the number of Letters you may find out the number of Lines and Rows by a few suppositions and consequently the involved meaning Nay you may soon discover any Writing of this Nature by reducing the Letters of the Epistle into Diagonal Lines as if you had found out its true Figure e g. First you may mark down I. the first Letter in the Writing by it self I. I. s g I. s u g s. y as in the Margine Next write the two following Letters g s by it thus then to these joyn the three following Letters y s. u thus afterwards the following four Letters t o a p thus and so of the following five Letters I. s u p g s. a y o t. c. You will perceive when Words or Syllables appear and withall if you observe the Cohaesion of Words or Letters between the end of the first Line and the beginning of the second you will find out where these two Lines joyn in the sense and consequently where the first line ends thus you shall have the number of Rows by which if you divide the whole Letters the Quotient gives you the number of Lines c. This way of Decyphering may seem to be deluded two ways 1. By beginning when they Copy the Epistle out of the Table at some of the other Angles 2. By inserting Nulls before the Epistle As to the first if they begin at the lower Angle towards the left Hand the Words will discover themselves as before Only the order of the Lines will be reversed in the Operation viz. The first Line last in the true order c. 2. If they begin at the upper Angle of the Parallelogram towards the right Hand the Lines will be in their true order but the Writing must be read backwards 3. If at the lower Angle towards the right Hand the order of Lines will be revers'd and the Writing must also be read backwards This holds by the ordinary Operation but you may frame your Figure for Discovery according to these three Suppositions viz. Beginning it at any Corner c. Yet I judge the ordinary Operation will give the speediest Resolution Note That by the last Supposition viz. By beginning at the lower Corner towards the right Hand You are not to expect Words or Syllables in the beginning of the first Line by your Operation being it is last in the true order and Mutes perhaps may be insert to fill up the void places in the Figure so that you may observe the other Lines As to the second by inserting Nulls before the Epistle they may in process of time be discovered thus When upon Tryal you find the Writing in the Epistle will make nothing of sense lay aside the first Letter and make a new Supposition with those remaining if nothing yet appear lay aside two Letters and proceed as before then leave out three four c. until you perceive Words c. But to leave this ¶ 4. Of Argile 's Method for confounding the sense of an Epistle by altering the places of the Words As by changing the places of Letters so by altering the Natural Order of the Words the sence of an Epistle may be obscured Yet since both are Decypherable by the very same Rules we shall not make any destinction but take either as they come to Hand And therefore have I subjoyned this Method of the late Earl of Argile's to the preceeding Paragraph which is in effect but a new alteration in Copying out the Writing from the Table in which it was at first contrived Perhaps he had in his Eye that way of Writing we have observed before to proceed from the top to the bottom and then upwards again c. Wherein the Rows are instead of Lines and said to be usual in China Taprobane and Japan Of this recent instance we have the following account in the Discoveries made in Scotland P. 18. The words in the long Letter were so Ordered that 254 words in course were interposed betwixt the first and second word in sense and as many between the third and fourth and so forth to the last word of the Letter Then beginning with the second word there were 252 words between that and the next in sense and so forth till they came to the penult word Again beginning with the third word of the Letter bewixt which and the next in sense intervened only 250 words and so forward to the end In the short Letter 62 words were interposed betwixt the first and second and so to proceed as in the other c. The reason of this inequality was his manner of transcribing his Missives from that Parallelogram he contrived them in at first for having distributed them into a certain number of Columns and Lines which numbers were subjoyned to the end of the writing for a Key E g there rest just 32 l. 8 s. i. e. 32 Lines 8 Columns Steganog p. 100. The Total sum is 128 Gild. 8 st c. A piece of Policy taught by Schottus in his Schola Steganographica He begins at the Head of the first Column and proceeds to the Foot of it Account of Discoveries in Scot. ibid. thâ—n beginning at the bottom of the 2d Column he rises to the Head thereof thereafter begins at the top of the third Column c. We need not go far for an Example I know not the grounds our Friends have gone upon which hath occasioned them to offer so little Money as I hear neither know I what assistance they do intend to give and till I know both I will neither refuse my Service nor do so much as object against any thing is resolved till I first hear what Mr Red or any other you send shall say only in the mean time I resolve to let you know as much of the grounds I go on as is possible at this distance and in this way I did truly in my proposition mention the very least sum I thought could do our business effectually not half of what I would have thought requisite in an other juncture c. The Words are Argile's and after his way of obscuring them they will stand thus I gone so I and refuse object first you time much is way the our would have business very I possible of I send hear against my till what little upon know not which Money assistance I service any
is easily procured to what end should we report it as Deficient The Invention is this That you have two sorts of Alphabets one of True Letters the other of Non-significants and that you likewise fold up two Letters one which may carry the Secret another such as is probable the Writer might send yet without Peril Now if the Messenger be strictly examined concerning the Cypher let him present the Alphabet of Non-significants for true Letters but the Alphabet of true Letters for Non-significants By this Art the Examiner falling upon the Exterior Letter and finding it probable shall suspect nothing of the Interior Letters SOLUTION The Difficulties here are not very great 'T is true if this Contrivance had never been published it might have had the desired Effect I mean to divert Suspicion But being made publick by an Author so universally received I cannot see but that the Examiner even finding the exterior Letter probable should take a View likewise of the interior tho its Alphabet might be delivered him for Non significants But supposing no Alphabet in the Case the Writing is decypherable without it v. g. 1. You may discover from the number of Characters in the Writing whether two Alphabets be used 2. After you have found out that two Alphabets or more are used you may from the frequency of each particular Character c. observe the differing letters that express the same Power 3. And having by several Operations distinguished the Alphabets one from another any thing of new Difficulty vanisheth ¶ 3. Of expressing all the Letters of the Alphabet by any two or three or five of them c. Examples 1. Of five Letters resolved into two places AA ab ac ad ae ba bb bc bd be ca   A B C D E F G H I K L   cb cc cd ce da db dc dd de ea eb ec ed. M N O P Q R S T V W X Y Z.              According to which Bd aacb abacdddbaaecad   I am betray'd Example 2. Of three Letters transposed through three places Aaa aab aac aba abb abc baa bab bbb A B C D E F G H I bba bac bca aca acc acb bbc bcb bcc K L M N O P Q R S cca cab cba ccc cbb ccb    T V W X Y Z.    Babaaabcccaaabbaca Hasten Example 3. Of a Bi-literary Alphabet Aaaaa aaaab aaaba aaabb aabaa aabab A B C D E F aabba aabbb abaaa abaab ababa ababb G H I K L M abbaa abbab abbba abbbb baaaa baaab N O P Q R S baaba baabb babaa babab babba babbb T V W X Y Z. Aababbaabbaabbaaabaa FUGE. From these Examples you may perceive how a man may express his mind at any such distance wherein the Eye and Ear may immediately officiate by any thing that is capable of a double or triple difference But of this in the following Chapter All these Alphabets are composed by an irregular Position of the Letters which differs very much from a regular Combination of letters as is observed For 1. By an Irregular Position all the Letters to be used are not insert in all the Places and thus you see aaa bbb baa c. in the Alphabet of three Letters 2. The Number of Letters and Number of Places need not be the same And thus in the first Example you have 5 letters resolved into 2 places and in the last Example two letters transposed through five Places c. Note by Places is understood the Number of Letters in the several Ranks as in the Examples But in a Regular Transposition or Combination e contra All the Letters to be combined must be insert in every Position and consequently the Number of letters and Places equal As you may perceive from the Explanation of the Table of Combinations in the preceeding Section Having mentioned these things I shall for the Satisfaction of those that are curious leave some Remarks to find out how many times this Irregular Method varies the Positions of any Number of Letters in their several Places And 1. As to the Number of Places and Letters take the Number of Letters given multiply that Number by it self and the Square or Product arising from the Multiplication gives their Variations in two Places E. g. In the first Example there are five Letters in two Places Now 5 the Number of Letters multiplied by it self gives 25 the Number of different Positions 5 letters resolved into two Places can have 2. When the same Number of Letters is disposed three in a Rank or in three Places multiply the Square by the Root or Number of Letters and the Product will give you the different Positions of the letters in three Places E. g. multiply 25 the last Product by 5 the Root the Result or Cube 125 shows that 5 letters in three Places may be so many times varied in the several Positions 3. If you would know how many Irregular Positions 5 letters in 4 Places can have take the fourth Power from the Root or Number of letters i. e. Multiply the last Product by the Number of letters v. g. 5 and the new Product gives you the Resolution And thus you may proceed to 5 Places by finding out the Fifth Power and so go on as far as you please Again if you would find out how many Positions two letters have in any Number of Places desired First Multiply 2 by it self as before which shews that 2 Letters in 2 Places have 4 Positions 2dly Multiplpy 4 the Product by 2 the Root and you have 8 the Number of Different Positions that 2 letters have in 3 Places 2 Letters in 4 Places have 16 Irregular Positions and in 5 Places they have 32 And so for any Number in Infinitum I need not say much for SOLVING any Difficulty in the former Examples For this way of Secret Writing alone will signifie very little unless to spend Time and Paper to the Writer For if you put a Mark of Distinction between every two three or five c. of the Characters as they make up a significant Letter they are liable to Discovery the same way with an ordinary Cypher And it is easily discernable when two three or five Characters express one Letter either from the Number of Characters in a Word or in the whole Writing 1. From the Number in a Word For when two Letters go to the Composition of the Alphabet there must be five Places and the Words will consist of 5 10 15 20 or 25 letters c. If three letters in three Places you will find 3 6 9 15 or 18 Characters c. in each word if five Letters in two places the words shall have 2 4 6 8 10 or 12 Characters c. a piece 2. From the Number of the letters in the whole as if two be only used in one Rank you
shall have five differing Characters in the whole at least E. g. a b c d e. If three in a Rank then you may have 3 Characters e. g. a b c and if 5 in a Rank you shall possibly have but 2 Characters in the Writing c. There might be other Observations made as from the number of like Characters falling together c. were it not superfluous ¶ 4. Of Secret Writing by a Bi formed Alphabet This way of Secret Writing is mentioned by the Lord Verulam Adv. of Learn p. 267. joyntly with that in the preceeding Paragraph only as preparatory to the Secret Contrivance immediatly following but is insisted on by it self in Bishop Wilkins his Secret and swift Messenger and therefore have I insert it seperately here For Example First Alphabet A a B b C c D d E e F f G g H h I i K k L l M m N n O o P p Q q R r S s T t V v W w X x Y y Z z. Second Alphabet A a B b C c D d E e F f G g H h I i K k L l M m N n O o P p Q q R r S s T t V v W w X x Y y Z z. In Writing by this Invention of Secrecy the Body of the Epistle is to consist chiefly of the second Alphabet And as Occasion offers the Secret intentions may be exprest by the Letters of the first Alphabet this I find illustrated by the following Example viz. From those that are besieged We prosper still in our affairs and shall without having any further help endure the siege Here the Letters of the first Alphabet contain these words We perish with hunger help us I do not mention this for any thing of intricacy but only for Information that such Methods may be taken ¶ 5. Of the Lord Bacon's Invention of Writing OMNIA PER OMNIA 1. For performing this they must have at Hand a Bi-literary Alphabet as in ¶ 3. And a Bi-formed Alphabet as in ¶ 4. 2. They write down their Secret Intentions or the Writing to be infolded on a Paper apart 3. They make a Supposition that all the Letters in the first Alphabet ¶ 4. do express A and those in the second Alphabet B. And thus they may write what they please for the Writing infolding so it bear a quintuple proportion to the Writing infolded at least Or in that Learned Lord 's own Words To the interior Letter which is Bi-literate you shall fit a Bi formed Exterior Letter Adv. of Learning l. 6. c. 1. which shall answer the other Letter for Letter and afterwards set it down Let the exterior example be Manere te volo donec venero And the interior be FUGE. Example F U G E          Aabab baabb aabba aabaa          Manere te volo donec venero          I have hereunto subjoyned an Example for further Illustration out of the Secret and Swift Messenger Exterior Epistle All things do happen according to our desires the particulars you shall understand when we meet at the appointed time and place of which you must not fail by any means the success of our affairs does much depend upon the meeting that we have agreed upon Interior Letter Fly for we are discover'd I am forced to write this The Example illustrated Aabab ababa babba aabab abbab baaaa F L Y. F O R. babaa aabaa aaaaa baaaa aabaa aaabb W E. A R E. D abaaa baaab aaaba abbab baabb aabaa I S C O V E baaaa aaabb abaaa aaaaa ababb aabab R ' D. I. A M. F abbab baaaa aaaba aabaa aaabb baaba O R C E D. T abbab babaa baaaa abaaa baaba aabaa O. W R I T E. baaba aabbb abaaa baaab   T H I S.   This Method wants nothing of Ingenuity in the Contrivance and containeth the Highest degree of Cypher which is to signify omnia per omnia without any other Restriction than that the outward Writing must bear a quintuple proportion to the Inward Nay there may be a Tri-formed Alphabet contrived and Regulated by the Tri literary Alphabet in ¶ 3. Example 2. And then the Epistle infolding will bear but a triple proportion to the Writing infolded Either of which ways is preferable to that tedious way of Secret Writing without suspicion insisted on by Trithemius in his first four Books of Polygraphy and all the emprovements it hath met with as shall be made manifest Note that by the invention of Secret Writing with Dots mentioned ¶ 1. a Man may write omnia per omnia or express any intention by any Writing but the proportion between the Exterior and Interior Letter will be much greater than in this Noble Lord's contrivance But to leave this Competition I proceed SOLUTION We shall not need to enlarge much upon the Resolution of this kind of Secret Writing for if you once find out whether two or three Alphabets be used and the different kinds of Letters in the Epistle will inform you of that you may suppose one Alphabet A a second to stand for B and if there be a third let it be supposed C. Afterwards extract the Writing out of the Epistle as if these Letters A B or C were only insert and then it falls under the former considerations It is nothing to the purpose whether your Supposition and the Writers be the same or not for if you suppose always A for his B the Operation will be alike easy And here I shall leave this kind of Cryptography by more Letters c. SECT 4. Of Secret Writing by fewer Letters than are usual in the framing of Words THe Art of Abbreviations in Writing is mentioned by Trithemius and most Authors who have treated of Cryptography but pursued by very few or none There hath been great variety of these Contractions invented and their first and for any thing I hear their constant use amongst the Romans was for Expedition Pier. Hier. lib. 17. c. 23. such as A the mark of Absolution * Pier. ibid. C of Condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Pier. Hierogl ibid. lib. 42. c. 53. Vid. Schot Techn Cur. lib. 7. c. 3. N. L. Non Liquet and N. D. Neci Datum And thus did the Judges write their several opinions upon a little Stone or Tessera in Cases Capital Hence it is that A was called Salutis Litera and C Litera Tristis But there were other Abbreviations amongst the Notaries which more properly may be said to have been used for Expedition v.g. A. T. M. D. O. Aio te mihi dare opportere B. A. bona actio B. E. bonorum emptor B. F. bona fides B. J. bonum judicium Ca. M. V. causa memorati viri C. C. causa cognita c. This way of Writing was retained in the Civil Law until the
to in the Words cited have nothing but hard Words to guard them against discovery the Invention hath little of extraordinary contrivance in it for it is only by makeing the first Letters in the exterior Letter serve to express the inward meaning as I have observed pag. 67. cap. 3. Or by intermitting one Word so that the first Letters of the first third and fifth Words c. will be only significant Schottus has several Examples to this purpose and that I may not seem Steg Class 7. Erotem 5. quite to neglect any thing so much insisted on by so great Authors I have insert one v. g. Let the Secret Intimation be Hac nocte post XII veniam ad te circa januam que ducit ad Ortum ubi me ecspectabis age ut omnia sint parata Which by the former Artifice may be involv'd in the following Words Humanae Salutis Amator qui creavit omnia nobis indixit Obedientiam Mundatorum cui omnes tenemur obedire obsequi Praemium Sanctae Obedientiae erit Sempiterna faelicitas timentibus Deum Christi Obedientiam in omnibus imitari Studeamus ut Vitam Aeternam promissam nobis Mereamur Ingredi cum Angelis per Misericordiam Dei agamus Paenitentiam dum possumus tempus vitae est brevissimum cito Mors imparatos offendet repente Negligentes consumet Judici Animas transmittet In Paenitentiam agenda Fratres non tardetis Velociter enim ad vos Mors veniet quam nemo vestrûm diu evadere potest Dies ergo vestros transeuntes conspicite Paenitentiam inchoate dum tempus habetis Ad quid diutius Negligitis O Mors rerum horribilium terribil issima quam velociter nos miseros consumis Vester incolatus Brevissimus est Judicio abnoxius Mors omnes examini submittit Exaudi nos Christe piissimè Salvator Nobisque paenitere cupientibus esto propitius Concede nobis Timorem Amorem tuum benignissimè Redemptor Indulgentiam Peccatorum Supplicantibus tribue Alme Creator Generis Humani exaudi nos veniam nobis tribuens Scoelerum ô Pater misericordissime esto nobis Misericors Infirmitatem nostram adjuva clementissime succurre misericorditer infirmis Animabus nostris quoniam tui sumus Pater indulgentissime Animabus fidelium requiem concede Angelis conjunge timentibus te adesse digneris Schottus takes notice of a great many ways of varying this Secret Contrivance such as by Beginning at the 2d Word of the Exterior Letter and from thence to the 4th 6th c. or to begin at the 3d. word and proceed to the 4th c. Or by interposing words betwixt some of the Letters in the Secret Writing and the rest to follow one another immediately Or otherways by intermitting sometimes two words in the Epistle infolding and sometimes one c. All which are very Laborious to write and very easily decyphered if suspected Now that this Method of Secret Writing was the Subject of Trithemius's first Book of Steganography there are good Arguments For 1. It is published in a Book entitl'd Clavis Steganographiae that goes under Trithemius his Name 2. Tho Schottus seems to question whether this was really Steganog ibid. any part of Trithemius's Writings yet he tacitly acknowledges it Says he Qui Clavem edidit Artificium non intellexit c. He who published the Clavis has not understood the Artifice for the Old German Words in the Example are altered into the Modern Dutch which change confounds the Sense c. Now certainly if the Publisher had been Author he must be supposed to have understood his own Example but it is acknowledged he did not 2. On the other hand I see no improbability but that this Clavis Steganographiae Trithemii is Genuine for since others of his Writings were published long after his Death which are acknowledged by all to be his own why might not this Manuscript fall into the Hands of some Person that particular and private Considerations might induce to send it abroad for Company And withal his peculiar Stile in obscuring plain Things is a convincing Argument of the Truth of it 3. And withal this way of Secret Writing can easily admit of a hundred and odd Variations and agrees with his Proposition in all Things except the Intricacy he attributes to it But this is not the only Hyperbole he makes use of INQUIRY II. Into the 2d Book of his Steganography Secundus Liber multa Mirabiliora continent c. i. e. The second Book contains many things more strange viz. By this Art I can communicate my Intentions by Fire to any one instructed in it at any distance a hundred Miles or more without Words without Writing and without Signs by any Messenger who tho he be apprehended by the way and examined by the most severe Tortures he can reveal nothing of my Message because he knows nothing of it Nay whatever occurs it can never be discovered and all the Men on Earth if assembled together can ever unmask it without more than natural help This I can at pleasure perform without a Messenger I can express my Mind at a great distance to a close Prisoner three Miles under ground Let him be under the strictest Custody all this I can do effectually and at all times when and how often I will c. By what Methods Trithemius could perform all this hath been enquired into by Schottus Kircherus and many others and it will be found a very bard task to give any satisfactory account of the means for the whole Propositions can most naturally be RESOLVED into Contradictions For 1. There is a way of Converse proposed abstracting from all means of Discourse Without WORDS without WRITING and without SIGNS 2. He proposes to inform his Confident without a Sign and yet by a Sign viz. Fire for if Fire or Smoak when used for Secret Information be not truly significatory Signs both Reason and Grammar are at a great loss 3. He pretends that he could express his Mind to a close Prisoner at a great distance and three German Miles under ground whenever and how often he pleased And this I am perswaded he had omitted if he had tryed the Experiment upon one in a Gulf but half a German mile below the surface of the Earth c. As for the Conjectures for reconciling the last Propositions to Sense they want not their own Difficulties But since we must necessarily grant that his Words are aenigmatically propos'd there must be the greater allowance given His Propositions in the second Book are reducible to three 1. To Communicate his Secret Intentions by any Messenger to his Confederate at any distance without any Writing c. And that by Fire 2. To Communicate his Intentions by Fire without a Messenger And 3. To signifie his Mind to a close Prisoner under ground c. By the first Schottus is of Opinion that Trithemius understood that way of Secret Writing mentioned Chap. 1. Sect. 6. which will be only Visible
Visionem K Jubilationem L Quietem M Requiem N Mansionem O Habitationem P Recreationem Q Fruitionem R Lucem S Exultationem T Claritatem V Pacem W Tranquillitatem X Glorificationem Y contemplationem Z Securitatem 8. A Permansuram B Aeternam C Sempiternam D Coelestem E Supercoelestem cum Omnibus F Perpetuam G Beatissimam H Angelicam I Seraphicam K Immortalem L Immarcessibilem M Ineffabilem N incomprehensibilem O Inaestimabilem P Luminosam Q Splendidam cum Universit R Lucidissimam S Amaenisimam T Perrennem V Sanctissimam W Interminabilem X Dulcissimam Y Perfectam Z Futuram 9. A Sanctis B Electis C Praedilectis D Sanctissimis E Justis F Justificatis G Praedestinatis H Angelis I Arch-Angelis K Amatoribus suis in L Cultoribus M Amicis N Apostolis O Prophetis P Discipulis Q Martyribus R Sanctificatis S Dominationibus T Dilectis V Civibus W Servis X Famulis Y Ministris Z Confessoribus 10. A Coelis B Coelestibus C Supercoelestibus D Aeternum E Perpetuum F Sempiternum G Saecula Saeculorum H Aevum Sanctum I Saeculum K Regno Coelorum L Altissimis M Excelsis N Paradiso O Olympo P Paradisiacis Q Olympicis R Fulgoribus S Foelicitate T Foeâ—â—citatibus Amen V Gloria W Honore X Magnificentia Y Luce perpetua Z Patria Coelesti The first four Books of Trithemius's Polygraphy contain nothing but a Continuation of such Alphabets only in the third and fourth they are conceived in Barbarous Words I have insert these few only and given no Example because the manner of Writing by them is by this time obvious Note the Words writ in a different Character at the side of the rest signifie nothing to the Confederates but are added in the outward Writing to make up the seeming Sense and when there are two of them one is only used Remarks upon the foregoing Method of Secret Writing I have not hitherto insisted upon this Method of Secret Writing Nor do I here pretend to SOLVE the Difficulties in Decyphering it But I have made some occasional Remarks as to the practice of it And 1. According to Trithemius there must be a new Alphabet for every Letter in the private Epistle 2. These Alphabets require a more than ordinary Ingenuity in their Contrivance 3. When the Alphabets are exactly fram'd the least mistake in the Writer turns the Secret Intimation into a Chaos 4. But suppose there were nothing amiss in the whole Design which is enough in all Conscience freely to grant yet there is more Time and Pains required in Writing and Reading by this Artifice than a Man in Business can dispense with For as we have observed according to Trithemius the Key must contain as many Alphabets as the Secret Epistle has Letters in it Now in Argile's long Letter insert in the Discoveries made in Scotland there are upwards of a thousand Words and if he had taken Trithemius's way of concealing it there had been five or six thousand Alphabets used in the Key And I leave it to ARITHMETICK to RESOLUE How much Time a particular Search into each of those Alphabets will amount to And to STOCISM for none but of that Sect will try how much Patience Athanasius Kircherus in his Steganography Endeavours to improve Trithemius's Method The alterations I observe are these 1. Kircherus contrives his Key in form of an Ordinary Epistle Whereas Trithemius conceives his in forms of Prayer which is more Liable to Suspicion especially in an age when the greatest Villainies are committed under a Form of Godliness 2. Kircherus has Alphabets of several Languages whereby a man may chuse what speech he pleases for his Exterior Letter tho he understand not the Genuine meaning of one Word of it But this was proposed by Trithemius 3. Kircherus's Key consists not of many Words so that if the Secret or Interior Epistle be not conceived in a few it gives Ground of Suspicion and of Resolution too For the Words that express every particular Alphabet as before being of like Signification that the outward Writing may have a seeming Sense at every return you shall have the same sense tho not in the same words which gives ground to suspect and if the Writing be long and many returns to Solve it Again suppose that several Letters writ by the same Key were seized which is no great improbability the Sense of all shall be to the same purpose and that gives cause enough of Jealousie and facilitates the Discovery And having considered Trithemius's tedious Method and Kircherus's way of abbreviating it both are lyable to so many Inconveniences that it is evident many of the Proposals for Secret Information considered in the first Chapter and particularly that of the Lord Bacon's by Writing omnia per omnia is preferrable to it INQUIRY IIII. Into the Contents of the 4th Book of Steganography Quartus Liber continet multa stupenda Experimenta c. The fourth Book contains many wonderful Experiments but simply Natural viz. I can fully communicate my Conceptions to my confident when we are eating or sitting with others without Words without Gestures As also in Discourse in Preaching Playing upon the Organ or Singing and that without any Impediment of either Action so that in Preaching things good and holy I can reveal my mind Secretly without Words Signs or Gestures c. These Words to my thinking may be reduced to three Propositions 1. A Secret way of Converse in Company is proposed inter edendum vel sedendum without Words or Gestures 2. By a premediated Oration or any Discourse to reveal an Intention without Words Signs or Gestures And 3. By Musical Notes to inform a Confederate And I suppose they are all so jumbled together of Design that these Words without Words Signs or Gestures might be attributed by the unwary to every one of the particular Proposals And certainly by SIGNS c. must be understood Signs PERCEPTIBLE or else his Words fall under the first Contradiction that was observed in the Preceding Inquiry And having noted this I proceed As to the first In eating or sitting in Company everry Action may be significant by Compact that is necessary or usual as calling for Drink wiping of the Mouth or Hands c. And he does not Exclude Signs in the first Proposition As to the second Proposition it is very naturally reducible to that kind of Secrecy in Speech we have considered Chap. 3. Sect. 1. Paragraph 3. So that in Preaching Bona Sancta one may couch any Intimations WITHOUT any Sign or Gesture or Words i. e. Words extrinsick to the outward Sense of the Discourse but this savors too much of Impiety As to the Third That the Differences of Sound and particularly of Musical Notes either in Musick Instrumental or Vocal may be applyed to the Letters of the Alphabet is already observed And now having Inquired into the Mysterious Difficulties that relate to Secret Information contain'd in the Epistle to Arnoldus Bostius
I shall examin a few other of the Obscurities mentioned by Trithemius INQUIRY V. Into the several Mystical Expressions Trithemius hath left upon Record in his Polygraphy Trithemius in the Preface of his Polygraphy Polyg pag. 17. hath these hard Words Magnus Romanorum Caesar Augustus tâ—nebroso cupiens in arduis uti nunciorum ministerio spiramina vocis conceptae mutavit ex lucidis in Opaca quorum barbariem votis renitentem Metatheseos Orchemate pulchra inventione ad nutum convenientem effecit iste receptivus quasi perpetuus ordo thelemati nihilominus temporis rationi subjectus quanquam nuncios ab incursione Bacuceorum conservet in via securos sui tamen regulatas non custodiens metas intuentes faciet omnes de suspicione rei sollicitos All the Mystery is no more than that Augustus by Transposition of the Letters of the Alphabet Polyg pag. 45. changed their Powers as we have it from his own Authority in his Exposition to Maximilian Again in his Preface he tells us Archimides ille Syracusianus Mathematicorum facile Princeps P. 17 18. albam suis convenientem institutis Volucrem nudam per Caput Pedes bactro in formam Tetragoni reciso circumferenter affixit ordinatisque debita proportione Ministris opus volatili commendavit instrumento donec in picam Imago Volucris albae mutata comparuit Quo rite peracto resolvit affixam sua manu quam ut avolare permisisset facta est subito inter familiares penetralium facies disjunctio magna surrexitque mox tortuosae imaginis monasticae prius monstrum nimis vagabundum cujus in aspectu nemo quod erat potuit cogitare Nec prius conquievit bubonum dissensio donec Imago Magistri picam scite religasset Tetragono consimili This Wonderful Monster at last by his own Metamorphosis is turned into that Invention of Secret Writing by the Lacedaemonian Scytale mentioned page 91. Alii enim Familiares ministerio Artis praepositae Page 50. Bubones habebant Philophotos alij Misophotos c. By Bubones he all along expresseth Secret Writing and what Philophoti and Misophoti do denote is clear from the words themselves viz. Philophoti Apparent Characters from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misophoti Occult or Invisible Characters from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hieroglyphick he takes to Express Secret Writing in General by the Owl is very Natural But when he says habebant Bubones Philophotos the Expression is not so very agreeable for Owls have no great kindness for the Light as also Light and Secret Information were ever at variance A Little after Speaking of Visible and Invisible Characters he says Trith ibid. Modivâ—ro Characterum Visibilium pro scriptura occulta nimis sunt multi ac paene innumerabiles c. Invisibilium autem tria sunt genera inter Mortales hodie magis usitata Primum nuncupatur Dermaticum quod fit in Dorso Nunciorum Scriptura quedam Artificialis per Loturam cujusdam humâ—ris duntaxat visibilis quam penetrarenemo sufficit qui artis nescierit arcanum Secundum vero Hyphasmaticum dicitur quo rebus certis in Panno scribitur quod exsiccatum videri potest minime donec Madefactum in aqua frigida cernatur Tertium genus nominatur Aleoticum quod est multiplex varium tam in forma quam in Materia habetque modos occulti scribendi paene Innumerabiles ejus autem Scriptura fit in Charta vel sine Charta cum Nemilua Cala cum Raphocam Lapolce alijsque rebus diversis Scribuntur item Literae ac varijs modis absconduntur Locis ut sub Race Tabulata sub Rofirila cubior in Leopi in Necoflas in Ceocali Locubat in Ratera in Lispilia aliis similibus paene infinitis c. Of all which in Oâ—der And First he himself explains the meaning of Dermaticum to be an Artificial kind of Writting on the Messengers back not visible until washed with a Certain Liquor The word is dirived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the skin By what means this may be performed Baptista Porta Kircherus Schottus and many more give an account Plin. lib. 26. cap. 8. but for Antiquities sake I shall only Repeat Pliny's words in his * Natural History to the like purpose Tythimalum Nostri berbam laclariam vocant See the preceeding Chapter alii Laclucam caprinam Narrantque lacte ejus inscripto Corpore cùm inaruerit si cinis inspergatur apparere Literas Et ita quidem Adulteros alloqui malûere quam codicillis 2. Trithemius likewise explains Hyphasmaticum to be an Experiment whereby a man may write upon Cloth and the Letters to be indiscernible until the Cloth be wet in cold Water Hyphasma is a Greek word signifying Cloth or Weaving 3. The third kind of Writing secretly by Latent Characters mentioned he calls Aleoticum I know none that have given any Account what it is but it may be derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to avoid Trithemius only tells us that it is Manifold and various both as to the Form and Matter and has almost Infinite ways of Secret Writing and that either with or without Paper c. That a man may write secretly without Paper we have already given several practicable Instances in the 4th Chap. We shall now proceed to those adduced by Trithemius in this place And 1. A man says he may write cum Nemilua Schot Steg Class 7. which in all probability is put instead of these words cum Alumne i. e. with Alum for the one is only a transposition of the Letters of the other an Obscurity Trithemius did very much affect 2. By Cala may be understood Lac Schot ibid. i.e. Milk and the Redundant Letter perhaps has been added Euphoniae gratia I have already considered secret Writing with Alum and Milk Chap. 1. Chap. 6. 3. Cum Raphocam i. e. Cum Camphora Schot ibid. Camphire a kind of Gum. 4. Cum Lapolce is interpreted cum Cepolla i. e. an Onyon Now after these Instances Trithemius comes next to treat of another part of his Aleotical kind of Secret Information for says he as Epistles may be secretly written so they may be several ways and in several places Concealed 1. Sub Race Tabulata i. e. Sub Tabula cerata Schot ibid. viz. The Letters inscribed may be covered over with Wax as in that Instance we Mentioned of Demaratus c. 2. Sub Rofirila cubior Schot ibid. some interpret this sub floribus Rubi but Schottus is not pleased with that Interpretation but thinks it may perhaps be read Sub Rofirila Mubios sub foliis Arborum a Concealing of Letters under the Leaves of Trees 3. In Leapi i. e. in Pileo or to hide Letters in a Hat Helmet or Cap. 4. In Necoflas i. e. in Flascone to conceal Epistles in a Bottle or Viol. 5. In Ceocali i. e. in Calceo only the last Letter is redundant 6. In Locubat i. e. in Baculo the last Letter being again redundant 7. In Ratera i. e. in Terra under ground 8. In Lispilia i. e. in Palliis in Cloths And now having in the last place Inquired into the Wonderful Proposals for Secret Information mentioned by Trithemius first in an Epistle to Arnoldus Bostius and afterwards in his Polygraphy to the Emperor Maximilian I shall not insist further at this time FINIS